Picking the Top 5 Open Water Swims of the Year

PHOENIX, Arizona, October 12. FOR the first time, Swimming World Magazine is picking the top open water swims of the year in the upcoming annual November Open Water issue.

Unlike pool swimming, each open water race has its own personality and challenges for the athletes. That makes each event vastly different, with the only common trait being the unpredictability of the open water.

With that in mind, Swimming World Magazine consulted a few open water swimming experts to help decide the honors. What surprised us is that no two of the experts picked the same five open water moments of 2013. That left us in a quandary that made creating this list even more daunting: how does one open water swim trump another? It’s easier to rank pool swimming performances because the environments are more or less the same. But is a 110-mile swim inherently “better” than a 25-kilometer swim?

Find out what swims made Swimming World Magazine’s top 5 list when you SUBSCRIBE TODAY! [Above magazine excerpt written by Jeff Commings] If you start your subscription before October 15, our November Open Water issue will be the first print magazine you will receive.

We would love to hear what you think were 2013’s Best Moments in Open Water Swimming in the comments section below…